Kinnear praised the direction of Randall Wallace: “He didn’t get distracted with the question of is heaven for real, is it not for real? What’s it look like? Instead he gives you a very clear sense of the story that this family went through as told in the book. So I think it’s respectful to the book, but it also has kind of its own journey to tell.”

Kinnear also said the director neatly avoided the pitfall of preaching to the audience.

“When this pastor’s son comes to him and says, ‘I had this…I’ve seen the other side and everything you’ve been saying is consistent with that’ rather than the pastor giving him a high five and saying, ‘See? I told ya!’ that that actually be the starting point for his internal struggle of his own faith and his own questions.”

After “Noah” starring Russell Crowe and ahead of a new Ridley Scott film on Moses, to be played by Christian Bale, “Heaven is for Real” continues the Hollywood trend for religious-themed movies.